Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity

After the abolition of slavery towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, the majority of freed black slaves who remained in Anatolia were taken to state “guesthouses” in a number of cities throughout the Empire, the most important of which was in Izmir. Despite their longstanding presence, the descenda...

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Main Author: Ayşegül Kayagil
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Ledizioni 2020-05-01
Series:Antropologia
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.ledijournals.com/ojs/index.php/antropologia/article/view/1624
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author Ayşegül Kayagil
author_facet Ayşegül Kayagil
author_sort Ayşegül Kayagil
collection DOAJ
description After the abolition of slavery towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, the majority of freed black slaves who remained in Anatolia were taken to state “guesthouses” in a number of cities throughout the Empire, the most important of which was in Izmir. Despite their longstanding presence, the descendants of these black slaves – today, citizens of the Republic of Turkey – have until recently remained invisible both in the official historiography and in academic scholarship of history and social science. It is only since the establishment of the Association of Afro-Turks in 2006 that the black population has gained public and media attention and a public discussion has finally begun on the legacies of slavery in Turkey. Drawing on in-depth interviews with members of the Afro-Turk community (2014-2016), I examine the key role of the foundation of the Afro-Turk Association in reshaping the ways in which they think of themselves, their shared identity and history.
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publishDate 2020-05-01
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spelling doaj-art-ea3094972b044de89870c7a6d1e09dcd2025-08-20T03:51:13ZengLedizioniAntropologia2281-40432420-84692020-05-0171 N.S.10.14672/ada2020162445-661252Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk IdentityAyşegül KayagilAfter the abolition of slavery towards the end of the Ottoman Empire, the majority of freed black slaves who remained in Anatolia were taken to state “guesthouses” in a number of cities throughout the Empire, the most important of which was in Izmir. Despite their longstanding presence, the descendants of these black slaves – today, citizens of the Republic of Turkey – have until recently remained invisible both in the official historiography and in academic scholarship of history and social science. It is only since the establishment of the Association of Afro-Turks in 2006 that the black population has gained public and media attention and a public discussion has finally begun on the legacies of slavery in Turkey. Drawing on in-depth interviews with members of the Afro-Turk community (2014-2016), I examine the key role of the foundation of the Afro-Turk Association in reshaping the ways in which they think of themselves, their shared identity and history.https://www.ledijournals.com/ojs/index.php/antropologia/article/view/1624Afro-TurksOttoman slaveryTurkishnessblackness
spellingShingle Ayşegül Kayagil
Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity
Antropologia
Afro-Turks
Ottoman slavery
Turkishness
blackness
title Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity
title_full Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity
title_fullStr Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity
title_full_unstemmed Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity
title_short Vocabularies of (In)Visibilities: (Re)Making the Afro-Turk Identity
title_sort vocabularies of in visibilities re making the afro turk identity
topic Afro-Turks
Ottoman slavery
Turkishness
blackness
url https://www.ledijournals.com/ojs/index.php/antropologia/article/view/1624
work_keys_str_mv AT aysegulkayagil vocabulariesofinvisibilitiesremakingtheafroturkidentity